My Mother loves to tell the story about when I was a mere few months old and she stopped to get gas and run inside to buy a few things. She took me with her and had me in one of those baby carry things (of which the actual word escapes me at the moment...I blame this lapse on all the meds I'm on and definitely NOT old age). When she came back out of the store she placed me in my "carry thing" (argh) on top of the car while she placed her items inside etc. Apparently that nano second that passed between placing me on top of the car and placing the store items inside the car was just long enough for her to COMPLETELY FORGET ABOUT ME and the fact that I was on top of the freakin car. She got in and drove off singing a merry tune with the radio...OK I made that part up but I get a bit miffed when she tells me this story...I mean SERIOUSLY...how do you forget the fact that your baby is with you?!!!
Anyways....she drove out of the gas station parking lot and cruised down the road at a fairly sedate pace (she says this but I'm inclined to believe she was doing her usual heavy foot driving...I know your driving Mother) and of course it wasn't long before people were honking and pointing at her. Not realizing what the hell everyone was going on about she continued until she came to the first set of traffic lights...and applied the brakes...only to see my "carry thing" (what the hell is that thing called for griefs sake?) come sliding down the front window of the car and onto the hood. Thankfully she didn't slam on the brakes fully otherwise I might not be around to tell this wonderful story of Motherly love and devotion to her offspring. She screamed horrified and jumped out of the car and grabbed me up and made sure I wasn't hurt (oh...NOW your concerned for my safety...*sigh*)...pops me back in the car...and spends the next 40 years of my life telling everyone she meets this "amusing" little story.
I don't find it in the least amusing...do YOU? Wheres Social Services when you need them?
This, of course, is not the only incident in which my safety was put into jeopardy due to the negligence of one or the other of my parents. Lets forget for a moment that my VERY LIFE rested on a very fine line indeed thanks to my fathers abusive ways...but I'm talking for the moment about just things in general they did (or didn't do) that could have resulted in my harm or even death.
For instance, when I was 15 my father made me drive the family car from our house into town to the mechanics...he drove the other car which he was going to leave there...then drive back in the car I drove. Here's the kicker....I HAD NEVER DRIVEN A CAR BEFORE!!!
Of course that didn't stop him from telling me to do it...and it never even crossed my mind to remind him of the fact that I had never driven a car before...much less on a major highway with major type traffic. I just got in the car and did my best. He told me to follow him...and didn't bother telling me where we were actually going before hand...so follow him I did. This meant, of course, that I had to speed....run a few stop signs...merge onto a major highway without bothering to make sure the way was clear which meant the 18 wheeler that sounded his horn in order to alert me that I was about to become road pizza was fully in his rights...and cross a 4 way intersection...when it was NOT my turn....merely in an effort to keep the tail end of my fathers car in sight. If I lost him then I had no way of finding him again due to the fact I had no idea where he was going. No mobile phones back then...and losing him was just NOT and option. His anger was not something to mess with.
The fact that I survived that 22 mile "virgin" drive has got to be worthy of a medal or two...or at least a star on a sidewalk somewhere.
Funny enough when my Mother found out later about my little "joy" ride she went up in flames horrified at the danger he put me in and what the outcome COULD have been if I hadn't been lucky etc etc....
Gee Mom...its not like he left me on the roof of the car while tooling down the street singing to the radio...now is it?
So fess up people...what sort of dangerous situations have you put your children in...either accidentally (OK OK Mom...it was an accident) or on purpose (looking at you Dad)....lets hear'em. Confession is good for the soul...or so Ive heard.
23 comments:
well i told my husband to put my son in his bed. husband says ok. few minutes later i sit down and i hear a whimpering...only to realize i was sitting on my 1 month old son..lool poor kid. I told my husband "i thought you put him in his bed." he says "i thought you meant our bed". the very next day i'm taking the baby to his little check up, i put him in his carseat, put keys in the engine, start the car, run the heater, close the door and run to lock the front door. I come back, grab the front door...and guess what...automatic locks. child is now sitting inside crying, me horrified and feeling stupid (first child..learning as i go here) had to call 911 and wait for the fire department. very embarassing. as for my expierence, well my mom has run over my foot with the car twice by accident, dad left stick shift in reverse while i was loading the trunk, hit me in the back by accident. lool. no biggie i'm still here :D
What kind of car thingy would they have had back then? Car bed? We didn't have car seats for babies like we do now. shoot, we didn't even have seat belts!Well, some cars did but we didn't USE them!
The worst parenting thing I ever did was trusting that my kids' friends' parents were decent, trustworthy, responsible parents. NEVER again!
I call that thing a "carrier." It's my biggest fear that I would do something like what your mom did! When I'm driving, I'm constantly checking to make sure that both my kids are in the back seat and I didn't forget them somewhere.
I've driven off with my coat on top of the car and ever since then, knew never to put anything of value (children and babies included) on top of the car for even a nanosecond. Pretend there are poisonous spikes up there. Just don't make it an option. Given my memory problems, using the top of the car for a temporary resting place is never a good idea.
I went to the store once with my brother last year and Layla was also in the backseat. We got to talking and so I just got out like I was gonna go inside when we got to the store. I just momentarily forgot that she was in the backseat. Fortunately, my brother reminded me that my child was in the back! I felt so guilty for the longest time about that almost-accident.
The only thing I am guilty of placing on top of my car is my coffee cups. LOL :) I frequently see them fall off as I am driving down the road. I get upset when I lose my coffee as I am a major caffeine addict.
My father tossed my brothers and i into a lake when we were 3, 4, and 6 years old to teach us how to swim.
all by ourselves :(
Thank god that doggy paddling was an instinct for us!
i dont belive im gonna even admit to this....
but when my son was about 2 weeks old...i put his car seat on the roof of the car...and got inside (i was insanley anemic and just sat down...i started the car...and as i was about to close the door, i looked in the backseat didt see him...and realized what i did.
ive felt guilty the past 14 years for that.
When my oldest was 1, she had been with her dad for a few days. I went to Sears, and was in less than 2 tminutes when I realized I had accidentally left her in the car. I felt so bad for doing that.
I once put the baby in the car, then all the shopping; placed my bag (which had car keys and mobile) on the passenger seat and then went over to the driver's side only to realise I had locked the car with my precious baby inside! It was October and very, very hot. Thankfully husband's office was a block away. I used the guard's phone to call him and husband was there in 10 min but those 10 min were awful.
From these comments Im starting to think babies in car seats are a definite health hazzard...lol.
I shall have to confess the "unfortunate incidents" of other parents, namely my own:
1) when I, the firstborn, was a newborn, my father kindly offered to give my mom a break by minding me for the afternoon, while she got some non -baby time. When she came home a few hours later, my father was no where to be found. Fortunately, I was--asleep in my crib like all newborns should be. Faced with interrogation by an enraged new mother, all my father could come up with was the truth: "My friend came by and wanted to go out, and I forgot we had a baby".
2) Fastforwarding, at 17 my mother and I were having a "debate" about whether I should take an iron pill or not. This debate involved her chasing me down and forcing one in my mouth. Whereupon I gave up and swallowed. When I told her it tasted funny (as in weirder than a normal iron pill), she remembered she had been using insecticide in the garden just before. This resulted in me using all my first aid training to treat myself, phone Poison Control (she was too freaked to do anything), who advised an ER visit "just in case". My mother drove me saying "Raise her until she's 17, and then kill her with an iron pill", and shaking her head while running lights.
There you go, I hope my confession is good for my parents' souls!
Hey Red,
You have dropped out of sight, hope all is well in Wyoming. Betty
Okay, 2 confessions from my 3-year-old maternal self:
1) just turned 3, and left to our own devices by babysitting Dad (again! LOL :) )--I decided to give my 18 month sister a stroll in HER stroller, and we went for a nice stroll even though I could barely reach the handle to push. A full service chauffeur, I helped her out--uh, on an incline, with uh, no brake on. She hit the bridge of her nose and got two huge shiners. Boy, did Dad get in trouble for that one!
2) a much older 3 1/2 I was promenading my little cousin in his baby carriage. I decide to lift him out at the end of the promenade, being a full service carriage driver and all, and banged his head as I did (Who knew infants flopped around and had no head control?). Aunt was rather ungracious about that, rather all first time mothery, even though his cry reflex showed he was fine!
I guess I'd better stick to a baby snuggly, it does roll anywhere or have hard edges. LOL :)
Edit: It does NOT roll anywhere or have hard edges.
I was in the military and had just got off a 6 week Maturnity leave, it was the 1st week of daycare for my babygirl. On the second day I got off work and drove 40 minutes straight home, got inside the house and saw baby bottles drying at the sink. It was then I realized I forgot to pick her up from the Daycare, and was 10 minutes late after closing. I felt like the worst mom ever and was so ashamed for forgetting my baby, and I never told my husband either. Now that Girly is 21 and very healthy. That was my 1st out of 4 kiddos and there's no telling what else I have done that I just can't recall because it all starts running in together. As a parent you live and learn not to let it happen again. Just love em and be the best parent you can be, your only human. Besides with 3 still at home "I'm still learning".
Donna
Hey Red,
Maybe you can try saying you have three kids (strictly speaking, the older two are adults). You can just pretend they visit alot.
I'd go for the smallest place I could possibly fit into, it'll be easier/cheaper to keep warm this winter. And the more you scrimp on housing the sooner you'll be able to get a car, hook up to internet, tv etc. (all very helpful for warding off cabin fever in the cold weather months). And once everyone is going to school/working you'll probably find that it's rare that you're all at home at the same time anyway so the crowding won't be as bad as you maybe imagine.
I know I know, easy to say when it's not me that has to live it but I'm only trying to help brainstorm with you. No doubt you have your own ideas.
I did make a contribution for your holidays but not sure it went through. Maybe you've turned off the button.
Betty
Betty...problem with small places is that they dont allow more than 4 people in them...my older kids cant stay in my friends house cause they are moving out soon too...and we cant afford two rents at the moment so they need to stay with me wherever we end up. So its a headache. Most of the rooms in the houses I have looked at (that I can technically afford) are barely large enough to put a bed in...seriously small...ugh.
btw I did receive your kind donation. I apologize for not returning a thank you when I received it. Im using the library computer these days and Im usually rushed. Thank you and thanks for the advice.
Hey Red,
Never mind murders in the past, concentrate on preventing murders in the future by installing very good locks as soon as you move in. With six people in residence I don't suppose you'll be a very tempting target.
Good Will and Salvation Army are usually good places to furniture shop, you'll often get better quality there than you'd find at Target or Wallmart and with a coat of paint you can do wonders. Paint is practically free if you go to the "OOPS" counter at Homedepot where people have rejected the mixes made for them and the store practically gives it away.
In our student days we furnished all our places that way and ate red beans and rice, or split peasoup with day old bread turned to toast for weeks at a time. I know it doesn't sound like fun but you can make it fun if you can get yourself thinking in a kind of "little house on the prarie" pioneer spirit, and you may actually begin to enjoy the challenge.
Make sure you have applied for any assistance you might be eligigle for. The kids may be able to get free lunches at school and that will help alot. The school and the public library will be good local info sources and of course you already know how to research the internet.
Oh, and while you are at the goodwill check out the clothes, you can get great buys, the highschool girls around here buy most of their blue jeans there and then add patches or bling to dress them up.
Keep your spirits up. Betty
You might try Craigslist or the newspaper. I have gotten good buys from both. Also there might be a group in town or nearby that helps people out with furniture to get on their feet. We have a place here and maybe they have one similar near you. Yard sales and estate sales although at this time of year it is kind of cold for that. One thing I did once was to rent a Uhaul for the day and purchased some furniture off Craigslist that wasn't local but about an hour away. Loaded it up, got a friend or two to help me and as payment I treated them to pizza and pop. There are so many options.
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